An exhaust pipe typically directs exhaust gasses collected from a manifold, for instance, away from the vehicle generating the gasses, typically, for example, to the rear or the direction opposite the direction of travel. Commonly, the exhaust pipe is a straight pipe that leads directly from the engine to the rear of the vehicle. Makers of custom automobiles, motorcycles, and internal combustion engines, however, sometimes orient the engine so that the exhaust pipe is connected at a location such that the pipe is not directed backward toward the rear. This may occur for aesthetic or performance reasons. In such cases, it is necessary to bend the exhaust pipe so that it directs the exhaust gasses in a safe direction.
Bending pipe is a surprisingly tricky thing to do, requiring a fair amount of skill and special equipment such as a pipe bender. One alternative to bending pipe is to cut a section of pipe into series of pie cut pieces that can be assembled and welded together to form a curved section of piping. Making pie cuts, however, is also tricky and requires a fairly high degree of skill and experience, as well as welding capability. In recent years, pie cut pipe bends have become fashionable because they look cool and make it relatively easy to bend the exhaust pipe into artistic shapes. Until now, pie cuts were custom-made for each specific job, even though exhaust pipe piping is commonly of standardize diameter and thickness.
There is an unmet need therefore, for pre-manufactured pie cut pieces where each piece has a structural feature by which the separate pie cut pieces snap or otherwise lock together to more easily form any desired curved section of piping.